The Jetton Park Triathlon 2013 is scheduled this Saturday, May 11, at Jetton Park on Lake Norman. The event, organized by Wakeman Charities to benefit Brookstone Schools and Hope House Foundation, will bring some lane closures in the park area. Read the full story

A crisp spring morning and cash prizes welcomed runners to the inaugural American Two Mile Road Race at Jetton Park in Cornelius. The road through the park was a “phenomenal setup” for the approximately 70 local and out-of-state athletes, according to organizers. Darren Brown and Heidi Dahl, both of Knoxville, came away winners. Story and photos in SPORTS»

The Wakemans present a $10,000 check to Hope House Foundation. From left: Sheila Wakeman, Hope House Executive Director Fran Mathay, Hope House Program Director Val Daye, and Emily Wakeman. (Hope House photo)

The fourth annual Jetton Park Sprint Triathlon this year raised $10,000 for Hope House Foundation, serving homeless women and women with children in the Lake Norman area. The event was organized by Jeff and Sheila Wakeman of Wakeman Charities, who delivered the check to Hope House last week.  Read the full story

The town plans to remove the left-turn lane and expand the median, and to put another flashing light on the median to alert drivers of pedestrians.

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
CorneliusNews.net

Board members on Monday voted unanimously to install extra safety features for pedestrians at the Jetton Road crosswalk at Jetton Park. They approved $25,000 to be spent on additional flashing lights and removal of the left turning lane. Also monday, board members heard from Tommy Davis with the North Mecklenburg Crimestoppers, who asked them to consider an annual contribution to the 501(c)3. And, they voted on two citizen appointments, and heard a presentation about the CONNECT Consortium, an initiative of the Centralina Council of Governments. Read below for details. Read the full story

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
CorneliusNews.net

Huntersville resident Doug Gray has developed the “next generation of racing,” he says, and is preparing for the inaugural “Dash 4 Cache” June 15 at Jetton Park in Cornelius.

During the technologically-enhanced, activity-driven scavenger hunt, teams of two to four people will dash from cache to cache (predetermined checkpoints), using smart phones and customized guidebooks to locate the next spot. They can dash by foot, bicycle or car, and each new location will present a new task – a healthy, “green” activity or puzzle – to complete. The goal is to earn the most points by completing tasks before the end of the race. Scores will be entered in the players’ smart phone score sheets and posted in real-time. Read the full story

Pedestrians must cross 4 lanes of traffic to get to Jetton Park. (Lyndsay Kibiloski / CorneliusNews.net)

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
CorneliusNews.net

After several “near misses,” officials are looking to improve pedestrian safety at a Jetton Road crosswalk by installing a new lighted signal system.

Pedestrians headed to Jetton Park from the opposite side of the street must cross four lanes of traffic, and sometimes drivers in the far lane don’t see them right away, town planners say. Heading into the spring and summer months, town officials and Cornelius Police say that increased pedestrian traffic could mean increased risk of an accident. Read the full story

(Back row, L-R) Hope House Program Director Val Daye, Hope House Executive Director Fran Mathay, Wakeman Charities co-founder Shelia Wakeman, Julia Wakeman (front).

Wakeman Charities presented a check for $14,000 to Hope House Foundation last week. Founded by Jeff and Shelia Wakeman, the organization raised the funds through its third annual Jetton Park Sprint Triathlon, held May 7 at the park. Hope House was also the recipient of funding from Wakeman Charities’ first triathlon event in 2009, and that funding helped them to open the house, which offers support to homeless women and women with children in the Lake Norman area.

The charity sprint triathlon included a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride and a 5-kilometer run, Ms. Wakeman said.

“The Jetton Triathlon serves as a community building event for Cornelius and the surrounding Lake Norman towns,” Jeff Wakeman said in a press release.  “Shelia and I created this event because we are both athletes and know how valuable health and fitness is for a community. It adds spirit and promotes togetherness in families and friends.”

In addition to the triathlon, all attendees and the many event volunteers enjoy food, prizes, entertainment and special guest appearances as well as a silent auction.